Animals might be wary of one another in the wild, but they don’t always stick to their own species. Sometimes the types of creatures that befriend each other will surprise you a lot. You won’t be able to get enough of this polar bear petting a dog.

Brian Ladoon works with the Canadian Eskimo Dog Foundation in Canada. His group (consisting of him and a pack of wolf-dogs) often finds themselves near wild polar bears. Brian makes sure to stay away from the bears – a wise choice for a vulnerable, fleshy human. But the dogs are a different story.

The local polar bears have in fact befriended the dogs! They enjoy playing games with them, and the two species even sleep next to each other. The most adorable part? The bears even pet the dogs! This is just too cute.

“It happened, and it happened naturally,” Brian shared. “It was not something that was planned, and I worked with it instead of fighting it, you know?”

The first time the man saw this strange phenomenon, he was awe-struck. He thought it was a fluke, but the next year the pups rejoined their polar pals. Brian realized that the groups had built strong bonds for the rest of their lives. The bears and dogs just couldn’t get enough of each other.

“As the weather gets colder, more of course come. And so the variety and selection of characters change very fast,” Brian explained. “There are certain bears that . . . just plop right down. They’re just so happy to be home, and they don’t leave until that ice is frozen.”

The dogs also get excited to see their long lost friends. They jump up and down to greet the polar bears, running up to them as soon as they are in the area.

The way bears and dogs nuzzle against each other reminds us that these species aren’t so different after all. They are both arctic creatures with thick fur and excellent survival skills. They both love rolling around in the snow, and they both like to snuggle together at night.

Seeing these polar bears play with the wolf dogs is sure to amaze anyone. When it comes to animals loving one another, we just can’t get enough. Watch this incredible video for yourself below.